LUGANSK, March 1. /TASS/. Ukraine’s armed forces have shelled settlements in the zone of responsibility of the Lugansk People's Republic forces nine times so far on Tuesday, said the official representative of the republic’s People's Militia, Ivan Filiponenko.
"Since the beginning of the current day, Ukrainian militants have violated the ceasefire nine times," he said in a statement on the militia’s Telegram channel.
"In the Debaltsevo area, the armed forces of Ukraine fired three times at the area of the village of Logvinovo using the Grad multiple launch rocket systems, artillery of 152 mm caliber and mortars of 120 mm caliber."
"The village of Kalinovka came under fire from the Grad MLRS and 120-mm mortars three times, the settlement of Molochnoye was fired on from the Grad MLRS, the settlement of Nizhneye Lozovoye from 120-mm mortars," Filiponenko said.
In the area of Popasnyansk, Ukrainian forces, used the Grad MLRS to fire at the area of the settlement of Pervomaisk. In the Slavyanoserbsk area, the armed forces of Ukraine, used the Grad MLRS to fire at the city of Kirovsk and used 120 mm mortars to fire at the village of Donetsk.
"As a result of the shelling by the armed units of Ukraine of the settlements of Kirovsk and Pervomaisk from the Grad MLRS, 14 residential buildings, a power line and a medium-pressure gas pipeline were damaged," the spokesman said.
The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on the morning of February 17. The DPR and LPR reported the most intense shelling from Ukraine in recent months. It damaged some civilian infrastructure facilities and casualties among peaceful population. Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 21 announced the recognition of the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics. Treaties of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance were signed with their leaders. Putin on February 24, in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics, made a decision to conduct a special military operation. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories.